"All the Order's actions are deeply considered."
"Under the Sentinel's will, we guide the people, uniting them."
"We hope to build a heavenly kingdom, a land of ultimate bliss…"
"As it was in the beginning, so it is today."
"Please trust in the Order's sacred judgment."
"All matters we know of will be resolved one by one."
Just then, the priest's terminal rang, and he answered the call.
"What did you say!? How could the Montelli Family…"
His tone sounded shocked, but with Lucian's keen eyes, the priest's acting seemed a bit deliberate.
It was as if he intentionally wanted them to hear.
The priest hung up and sighed. "My apologies, I need to handle some public matters."
"Hearing is unreliable, seeing is believing. Feel free to search the Order."
"We won't refuse a pair of eyes seeking the truth. Please, make yourselves at home."
"But please don't damage the sacred relics used in rituals or violate our precepts."
"Otherwise, we'll have to label you as heretics."
With that, the priest hurriedly left, as if something terrifying was behind him.
Lucian clicked his tongue in amazement. "Didn't expect this old geezer to be such a good actor. Being a priest is a waste of his talent."
Zani had initially thought something had actually happened, but hearing Lucian, it seemed there was more to it?
"You mean… Father Alessio was acting?"
Rover also found it odd. "Very likely. Didn't you think he was too deliberate?"
"It's like he really wanted us to know the Montelli Family did something."
Zani recalled the moment and said helplessly, "…Alright, I didn't catch that."
"But regardless, he definitely lied about Gilberto."
"We saw him enter the cathedral with our own eyes."
Lucian looked at Phoebe, who was silently lowering her head, and asked gently, "Miss Phoebe, what's wrong?"
Lucian guessed the priest's behavior had shattered the image Phoebe had of him, shaking her worldview a bit.
Phoebe shook her head, dejected. "I just didn't expect Father Alessio to lie about this…"
"In my view, this is already direct evidence that the Order is collaborating with the Fisalia Family and the Fractsidus."
Phoebe was an orphan. When she awakened her resonance ability, it was seen as the Sentinel's favor.
That was why she joined the Order of the Deep, becoming an apprentice priestess.
She had always been respected by the faithful for her devout and steady demeanor, earning her the title "Lady Phoebe."
But now, facing the possibility that the Order was hiding something and collaborating with the Fractsidus, her heart wavered.
Though she worshipped the Sentinel, she had always seen the Order's members as her family.
She had followed their teachings, done her duties, and believed the Order, as the Sentinel's spokesperson, would make Ragunna better.
But now, with this situation, she felt at a loss.
Lucian pinched Phoebe's tender cheek with a smile. "No matter the outcome, I believe Phoebe will uphold justice, right?"
Phoebe pursed her lips, her face slightly flushed. "Mm…"
She took a deep breath, then said firmly, "If it turns out the Order did something wrong, I'll tell everyone the truth. Please rest assured!"
Zani nodded in approval. "Though a priestess, you don't blindly follow doctrine and have your own independent thinking. That's a good thing."
Rover also nodded. "It seems Miss Phoebe is indeed perfect for being the intermediary."
Phoebe, receiving everyone's praise, felt a spark of joy, then blushed slightly. "Um… I'll go put on some stockings first…"
Lucian grinned mischievously. "Is it convenient to put on stockings alone? Need my help?"
Phoebe shook her head vigorously. "No, no… I'm fine. I'll be right back!"
With that, she covered her face and ran off.
Rover said sarcastically, "Oh, I haven't seen someone put stockings on for me yet."
"But you've taken them off plenty of times…"
Lucian gave an awkward laugh, hugging Rover and kissing her neck. "Come on, you and I are like one…"
Zani cleared her throat loudly with a stern face. "Ahem!"
Don't you see a whole person standing here?
Zani quickly changed the subject. "So, since the priest told us to look around, we shouldn't waste his kindness."
"After all, Gilberto can't have vanished into thin air, right?"
"I think there might be some secret passage in this cathedral. Why don't we search around?"
Lucian pondered for a moment. If Phrolova used her ability, vanishing wasn't impossible.
Rover nodded slightly in agreement.
While waiting for Phoebe to return, looking around wouldn't hurt.
Most importantly, they wanted to see if there was anything special about this massive Sentinel statue.
The three approached the Sentinel statue. The Archbishop Fenrico, introduced by the priest earlier, stood quietly here.
Lucian circled Fenrico, then stared intently at his face.
A golden mask covered half his face, while the other half showed furrowed brows and downcast eyes.
Is this guy really the Sentinel's Resonator?
Jué's Resonator is Jinhsi. Look how beautiful she is.
How is Imperator's Resonator so ordinary?
"He's really damn ugly!"
Lucian muttered under his breath.
Zani & Rover: "?"
You looked for so long just to come to that conclusion? Why are you judging his appearance?
Lucian threw a punch at Fenrico's face, but unfortunately, it was just a holographic projection, and his fist passed through.
Rover rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Compared to Jinhsi, he's really not much."
Zani: "…"
Say what you will, these two have strangely aligned priorities.
Lucian shook his head. "Boring."
Then he turned to the Sentinel Imperator's statue.
Perched on a massive chairback, the statue's most distinct feature compared to the smaller Sentinel statue they'd seen before was its full, expansive wings.
"Hey, I want to see what happens if I stare at the Sentinel statue for more than thirty seconds!"
Lucian crossed his arms and fixed his gaze on the statue's eyes, unblinking.
Zani whispered to Rover, "Is Lucian still in his rebellious teenage phase or something?"
Rover sighed and shook her head. "What can I do? I love him, so I have to indulge him."
Zani: "?"
What am I saying, and what are you saying?
Are you speaking human?
In just one day, she'd eaten more dog food than in the past ten years.
Meanwhile, as Lucian's stare hit exactly thirty seconds, he suddenly noticed a faint glow in the Sentinel's eyes.
It didn't seem like an illusion…